The forgotten story of Pennsylvania’s Grand View Ship Hotel and an unexpected discovery along the historic Lincoln Highway. Sometimes the most fascinating places aren’t the ones we plan to visit. They’re the ones that catch our attention just long enough to make us pull over. We were driving through Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains on our way … Read more
We weren’t looking for a Civil War fort. We weren’t even looking for a historical site. Dusty and I were driving through the mountains of Virginia on our way to West Virginia when we rounded a curve and I saw an absolutely breathtaking view stretching across the mountains. Then I saw the sign. 1862 Confederate … Read more
Some places make it onto my travel itineraries months in advance. I research them, save them to maps, plan routes around them, and occasionally create schedules so detailed that Dusty probably wonders whether he’s traveling with me or participating in a military operation. Enfield, North Carolina, was not one of those places. We weren’t supposed … Read more
Hidden beneath sprawling live oaks on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, stands a massive concrete reminder of a battle that never happened. Fort Fremont was built at the end of the nineteenth century to protect one of the most important naval facilities along the southeastern coast. It was armed with enormous disappearing guns, staffed by … Read more
Some historic places celebrate victories. Others preserve tragedies. And then there are places like the Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site in Irwin County, Georgia—a place that many people misunderstand before they ever step onto the grounds. When Dusty and I visited during our drive home from our unforgettable Milledgeville adventure, I expected to find another … Read more
A Place Most People Would Never Choose Most people look at a Florida swamp and see something to avoid. A place of mud and still water.Of mosquitoes and shadows.Of things that move when you’re not looking. But once… this wasn’t a place people fled from. It was a place they disappeared into. And not just … Read more
There are places that announce themselves the moment you arrive—grand gates, bold markers, legends whispered before you even step out of the car. Camp Springs Cemetery isn’t one of those places. It sits quietly in Henry County, Alabama, surrounded by open sky and Wiregrass soil, asking nothing more than that you slow down. Nearly 500 … Read more
A Wrong Turn with a Long Shadow We weren’t looking for a border. Dusty and I were trying to find a park—one she remembered visiting years ago with her mom, back when memories still came with voices attached to them. The GPS sent us to an RV resort that definitely wasn’t it. But instead of … Read more
Some places announce themselves with open doors, guided tours, and gift shops buzzing with voices.Others ask you to slow down, stand outside the gate, and listen harder. The Mission Nombre de Dios is one of those places. We arrived early—too early, as it turned out. The gates were still closed, the gift shop locked, and … Read more
Holy Trinity Church, New Orleans Some places don’t ask for attention.They wait for it. I wasn’t searching for abandoned buildings when I first saw Holy Trinity Church. I wasn’t researching forgotten history or chasing lost places yet. We had just left St. Patrick Cemetery, on our way to the 9th Ward. We were just in … Read more